The U.S. Air Force has selected Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to house its new Global Strike Command, a decision that will create jobs in a state still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Air Force leaders created the new command to better manage the country's nuclear arsenal after several mistakes in the handling and oversight of its most destructive weapons. The Strike Command will handle long-range ballistic missiles and two bomber-types capable of carrying nuclear weapons—the B-52 and the B-2. With six states competing for the contract, the Air Force said it was looking for a base that already supports nuclear operations and which has enough room for a staff of up to 900 people.
